After coming out of the forest, I was expecting something grand like flying mountains, a reverse waterfall, or an enormous city, but what did I witness?

A forest. Another damn forest.

"Did we really escape?" I asked. "Why are we still in a forest?"

"What were you expecting?" Nymeria replied. "The Forest of Gumiho is a forbidden place, so no one loiters anywhere near here. But don't frown, there's a city a few kilometres ahead."

"What are we waiting for?" I shouted in excitement. "Let's go!"

As we were walking, my focus shifted to the expected notification I had been waiting for.

Ding...

"Congratulations! You have completed the Main Quest.

Main Quest: Escape the Forest of Gumiho — completed."

"Calculating the reward..."

"Reward calculated!!"

Reward:

– Inventory [Unlocked]

– Eyes of the Fallen [Click to Claim]

"Just the names of the rewards sound exciting," I gasped inwardly, touching the [Inventory] button.

Inventory [Level 1]: A subspace window that can store the Host's items.

Slots: 0/1000

Items: N/A

Note: The higher the quality or mass of an item, the more slots it requires to be stored.

"YES!!! Now I don't have to carry heavy items anymore!" I exclaimed inwardly.

I wanted to try that ability right there, but held back since I only had Vajra with me, and if it suddenly disappeared, everyone would bombard me with questions. So, I moved to the next reward.

"Congratulations! You have received an Epic item: Eyes of the Fallen."

"Eyes of the Fallen

Type: Growth Type [Current Rank: A]

Class: Epic

Description: Cultivated by the Fallen, these eyes can see through weaknesses and flaws in any skill, spell, or technique.

Growth Conditions:

Grows simultaneously along with the Realm of the Host.

Note:

1. Prolonged use inflicts mental strain and temporary weakening of eyesight.

2. Might fail if the gap between the Host and opponent is too large.

3. Once activated, the item will be consumed and permanently merge with the Host's eyes.

Would you like to activate it?

[Yes] [No]"

"Guys, should we rest for a moment?" I offered. "I'm feeling tired."

"We're almost out of the forest," Nymeria replied. "And where did all that previous energy of yours go?"

"Pretty lady, this woman here sucked all my Soulforce, so I can't walk anymore," I whimpered, pointing at Ume.

"You're saying it like I did something indecent to you," Ume pouted. "Recover yourself. We shall rest for a moment."

"Ume, you're the only one who understands my pain," I wailed dramatically, sitting down.

"Sister, you shouldn't spoil this jerk," Nymeria nagged.

Ume chuckled as she replied, "It's alright, Sis Nym. We could only escape thanks to him."

Vyaghra climbed a nearby tree and stood on top, observing the view beyond the forest, while Jambavan took a quick nap lying on the ground. Nymeria and Ume sat together having their girly talks as I shifted my focus to the reason I'd done all that drama.

"Vivi, activate the Eyes of the Fallen."

"Fusing Eyes of the Fallen with Host's eyes."

Two small holographic windows, barely the size of a coin, appeared at a nail's length in front of my eyes. From inside them, literal eyeballs emerged and went into my eyes.

A piercing pain surged in my brain, the veins around my eyes bulged, and I felt as if knives were repeatedly poked into my eyes.

I screamed in agony as tears of blood poured down my face. My eyes glowed intensely, and the process continued for almost five minutes before the pain finally subsided.

"Huff... huff," I breathed heavily, clutching the sides of my head.

"Raj, are you alright?" Nymeria's voice echoed.

A gentle touch traced my cheeks, wiping the blood off my face. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by the group, with Nymeria and Ume sitting in front of me while Jambavan and Vyaghra stood behind them.

"Y-your eyes..." Nymeria whispered, releasing a gasp.

"What about my eyes?" I asked, still trying to pull myself together.

"They look so pretty," Ume added.

"The brat has done somethin' crazy again," Jambavan chuckled.

"Your eyes have turned golden, and within them, two black pupils appeared, connected side by side," Vyaghra explained.

"Th-that sounds super awesome," I exclaimed.

"Is that really what ya should be sayin' right now?" Jambavan sighed, pointing at the ladies who were gazing at me with worried expressions.

I gently held Nymeria's and Ume's hands in mine and spoke in a warm tone, "I'm sorry for worrying you two."

"Hmph, who said I was worried?" Nymeria scoffed, snatching her hand away.

"Do you wish to rest more?" Ume asked.

"No, I'm totally fine. Let's not delay anymore."

From there, it didn't take us more than an hour to cover the rest of the distance.

We stopped once more in between as Nymeria dug out a storage pouch she had hidden before entering the Forest of Gumiho. She had spare clothes inside it, which she changed into, as her old robes were basically rags.

After passing the forest, we followed a well-made stone road that led us to two giant metal gates marking the entrance to a settlement. The entrance was guarded by a group of middle-aged people wearing leather armour and carrying spears or swords in their hands.

"Guys, I'm the only one who looks like a beggar," I moaned. "Now I don't want to enter the city anymore."

I was only wearing damaged pants and a pair of shoes, and from one of them, my toe was peeking out. My hair had grown all the way to my upper back and was a total mess since it hadn't been combed for eight long months.

"Stop whining. I'll buy you some clothes," Nymeria sighed, pulling me towards the entrance.

"Stop! Show us your identities," the guard demanded in a firm voice.

"W-wait a second," another guard whispered. "Isn't that woman..."

"We apologise for our rudeness, Snow Princess," the guards immediately bowed and opened the gates to the city.

"You're a PRINCESS????" I exclaimed in astonishment.

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